And When The Dream Is Torn Asunder
by DarkSabertooth
Summary: A new Brotherhood of Mutants gathers as the goverment proposes a final solution to the mutant problem.Remy LeBeau and Hank McCoy must forge a new team of mutants to prevent this but must ask themselves whether the end will justify the means


**And When the Dream Is Torn Asunder**

****

**Danger Room**

"Don't ya worry Hank, because I ain't gonna be too rough on ya. I ain't going ta kill ya anyway, yer still going ta lose though bub. After all what chance do ya have against the best there is?"

Logan sneered, revealing a flash of sharp incisor. Still grinning he lit up his cigarette and blew a cloud of ash in Hank's direction. The furry blue mutant stifled a yawn and continued his warm up routine. Slowly stretching, flexing his muscles and limbering up for the coming fight. Hank was actually fairly confident about his chances of victory. Like Logan said this wasn't a fight to the death and neither of them would be using their claws. It would more likely end up a sort of wrestling match and Hank was looking forward to putting Logan on his back.

"Perhaps you're right my feral friend. Maybe I should capitulate and kneel before you in supplication asking you to bestow your bountiful mercy on my hapless hirsute self. On second thoughts, I think not."

Blue eyes narrowed in an intimidating glare and sharp white fangs showed in a vicious snarl. Hank chuckled as Logan raised his shaggy brows. He actually held most of the advantages, despite his bulk he was fast, agile, strong and quite possibly the best hand to hand fighter besides Logan. If it did come down to wrestling his longer reach would prove critical. Otherwise his best chance would be to keep moving and make full use of his catlike agility. He might be resilient but he couldn't afford to trade blows with Logan so just slugging it out toe to toe was out of the option. Both of them had great endurance but again he'd probably succumb to fatigue before Logan. To stand any chance with Logan he couldn't afford to hold back. Logan had given him carte blanche to hit as hard as he liked, after all Logan's healing factor could deal with just about anything.

"OK Hank, just ta make sure ya know what yer letting yerself in fer, I'll recap. I ain't gonna go easy on ya but we ain't going ta go all out either. We're both free ta give in at any point or otherwise the fight ends when one of us is pinned or otherwise helpless. That sound fair ta ya bub?"

"Indubitably my dear Logan may the best mutant win."

After shaking hands they walked to opposite ends of the Danger Room and facing each other got into their combat positions. Above them in the control room they knew that Remy, Bishop and Rogue were watching so both were determined to put on a good show. After all the drinks that night would be on whoever lost so the stakes were high. Both men were quietly confident that they would be the one to emerge victorious. Both men tensed, muscles taut as they prepared to spring. Both favored their opponent with a vicious grin and both admitted silently to themselves that this would not be an easy fight. Then at an unseen signal the fight commenced.

Hank twisted aside to avoid Logan's first charge but still let out a gasp of pain as Logan's elbow slammed into his side. He'd promised not to use the claws but even without them his powerful forearms were proficient weapons. Hank grunted and placed his hands on Logan's shoulders, using him as a springboard to somersault forward through the air whilst simultaneously knocking his opponent off balance. He smiled slightly as his claws dug into the ceiling. He was in his element now and able to bring his superior agility into play. He could leap and bound all over the room and Logan just wouldn't be able to keep up with him. If he could hit Wolverine from every angle at once and keep him off balance he might be able to pin him and thus subdue him. That was the plan anyway. The important thing was to keep moving and not allow Logan to get too many blows in.

"I know yer plan fuzz-ball but ya can't keep it up all day ya know. Sooner or later yer going ta tire and then yer going ta be mine."

"Sooner or later Logan _you're _going to be flat on your back with me kneeling on your chest. Trust me Logan; I'm not going to lose this fight."

Logan growled under his breath but stood his ground, letting Beast come to him. He didn't move, simply stood and watched as Hank leapt, bounding off the walls and staying just tantalizingly out of reach. It was easy enough to shut out the constant stream of witty banter designed to distract him. Better just to think about the beer that Hank was going to be buying that night. He was almost caught of guard when Hank roared a battle cry and leapt straight towards him. Almost but not quite as he twisted to the side and caught hold of Hank's ankle and pulled. Hank yelped and began to tumble forwards, unfortunately straight on top of Logan. Fortunately an adamantium laced skeleton saved Logan's ribs from being crushed. Both of them would suffer more than some deep bruises and Logan recovered first. He smashed the heel of his hand into the bridge of Hank's nose, not hard enough to snap cartilage but enough to start blood streaming. Then one of those sledgehammer fists crashed into his midriff knocking the wind out of him. 

Logan lay stunned for a second, groaning and trying to catch his breath. He sprang to his feet aiming a kick at Hank's side. The furry mutant twisted, avoiding the brunt of the blow and escaping with a graze to his ribs. Now Hank was right on top of him, reaching out with his long arms and drawing Logan into grappling range. With a sinking feeling Logan realized he stood a good chance of losing this fight. He wasn't going to use his claws on Hank, but he really didn't have many other viable options at this range. He was strong, he had the advantage of being smaller but if a human wrestles a gorilla he will lose. Still he wasn't going to surrender so he stood his ground dropping into a wrestling stance. He let Hank get his arms around him and then they were straining, each trying to pin the other.

"Will you yield Logan?"

"Never fur-ball, I'm going ta fight ta the finish."

Logan growled and gritting his teeth heaved with all his might, getting Hank's arm in a painful lock. Hank grunted and struggled, fortune seemed to be on Logan's side as Hank slipped to his knees. Logan took full advantage and managed to put Hank in a choke-hold. Leaning forward he inexorably began shoving Hank to the ground. A few seconds more and Beast would be completely at his mercy handing victory to Logan. The feral grinned triumphantly seeing the look of worry in Hank's face as the mutant struggled apparently in vain to escape. Then his heart sank as a chuckle escaped Hank's lips. The furry face now acquired a 'had you going didn't I' look. Muscles rippled under the fur as Hank literally shook free and now it was Logan's turn to be placed in an arm lock.

Logan knew now that defeat was inevitable, he could struggle all he liked but the sad truth was, Hank was just too strong. Slowly, inexorably he was drawn into a bear-hug, pinned and pushed to the floor. Within seconds it was over and just as Hank had promised Logan was flat on his back with Hank kneeling on his chest. To Logan's credit he continued to struggle and actually succeeded in lifting Hank a couple of inches. Though he struggled valiantly in the end it was futile. Logan sighed heavily and let his head loll to the floor. Hank looked down at Logan with mixed triumph and concern.

"You fought well Logan; I truly didn't expect a victory. To be honest I was hoping only to put up a good enough struggle to earn your respect. Anyway do you surrender?"

Logan grinned wolfishly and with one last effort got a hand free from behind his back. Extended his claws he placed them lightly at Hank's throat.

"Tell yer what fuzzy, let's call it a draw and let Remy buy the drinks. Does that sound a fair deal?"

Hank considered the gleaming adamantium blades pressed lightly against his throat and shuddered. 

"Indubitably, my dear feral, a stalemate is eminently preferable to having my oh so tender trachea sliced. Please could you sheathe those claws if I say let you stand up?"

Logan nodded and withdrew his claws as Hank hopped off his chest and offered him a helping hand to get to his feet. 

**Danger Room Control Room**

"Now wouldn't you say dat was an interesting fight mon ami? Wolverine snatches victory from de jaws of defeat but technically de fight mostly went Beast's way. It seems dat dey are content to call it a draw. Still since dis means dat de drinks are on them, den dat means dat de real winners are you and I Bishop."

Remy smiled and watched Hank and Logan congratulating each other. It had taken a little persuasion on his part to talk Beast into the fight. Still he was nothing if not charming when he needed to be and he'd quite easily managed to get Hank out of his laboratory. It just sometimes took a little reminding for Beast that there was life outside the laboratory. Experiments into 'temporal causality matrix fluctuations' could wait for a few hours at least. Remy's little joke about having all the time in the world had fallen on deaf ears though.

"You're right, the fight was interesting but the end was never in doubt. Hank's a good fighter, his combination of speed, skill, agility and strength is formidable but he does have one flaw. He's just not a killer and that can be a problem when you come up against a ruthless enemy. Sometimes you can't afford to show mercy or compassion, sometimes you have no choice but to kill. I know that, you know that, Logan knows that and even Hank knows that."

Bishop sighed and rubbed his beard.

"I just hope that Hank never has to make that choice. Once you've taken a life you lose your innocence. It takes something out of you that you can never regain. The guilt can almost destroy you and it's quite true that you see the faces in your sleep. Hank's one of the few of us here who still has that innocence about him and I'd hate for him to lose it. The 'bouncing bodacious ever-effervescent blue Beast' might be a little wearing at times but I'd miss him."

"Oui mon ami, let's just hope dat it never comes to dat. "

Remy glanced out of the window again. Logan had lit up one of those extra-strong cigars he sometimes smoked and Hank had retreated to a corner probably to get away from the odor. When it came down to it perhaps Hank was one of the few that could still be called pure. Even those as gentle as Piotr and Ororo had some blood on their hands, others such as Bishop and himself had rather more and Logan, well he was the best there is and what he did wasn't very nice. Again Hank also didn't have anything in his past to really be ashamed off, no falls from grace or questionable deeds.

"Oui Hank, maybe it true dat you a real hero, well Remy salute you for dat. Still deir are some disadvantages dat Remy glad dat he not has. Remy know dat you shed, dat de shower always gets clogged up with de little blue hairs and dat he never have fleas."

Remy chuckled as Bishop raised an eyebrow disdainfully. It was unfair to say that Bishop was entirely humorless but it was rare for him to laugh at a joke. Remy didn't really blame Bishop for failing to be amused though. By his own admission his attempt at humor was unspectacular especially since at the moment he had other things on his mind. That being a rather agitated Rogue who'd just come bursting through the door.

"Merde, what is de matter chere?" 

Rogue thrust a newspaper into his hands. Remy sighed as he read the headline, it seemed that once again new anti-mutant laws were being passed and there were rumors that a 'final solution to the mutant crisis' was at hand.  Perhaps it would be new breed of Sentinels or maybe a resumption of Operation Zero Tolerance. Doubtless someone like Bastion or Henry Guyrich or another of their ilk was behind this. No doubt the X-Men would be forced to be involved when a mutant such as Magneto, Mystique, Apocalypse or Dark Beast gathered a new band of followers and struck back against the humans. It might even be Sinister or the Hellfire Club behind it all. No matter what happened it was highly unlikely to be beneficial for mutant kind.

"Just when yah begin tah believe the dream might be coming true, something always happens tah tear it all down fer yah. Ah don't know why we carry on sometimes."

"We carry on because we have to. We have to believe there is something worth striving for and that we can make a difference. We fight because sometimes the fight is all there is. We can't surrender, can't retreat and can't give up for if we fail then the dream is lost. If we do nothing then a Magneto or a Sinister will take action in our place. We can hope that one day humans will accept our kind but if we do nothing that day will never come. Like you Rogue I have my doubts but I will not give in. Neither should you."

Having made his speech Bishop left the room heading towards the shower to talk to Beast and Wolverine. Remy watched him leave and smiled at Rogue. He took her gloved hand and gave it a delicate kiss.

"Oui chere, de man is right you know. Now how about we go out and hit the town, get a nice dinner non?"

**Somewhere in ****New York******

"Who the bluidy hell are ye, y'bluidy stupid Sassenach. I dinae want anything t'do with ye so why don't ye bugger off before I get nasty with ye."

The Scottish accented voice dropped to a low angry growl. Spoor was annoyed and he wasn't afraid to let this stranger know it. He was a fearsome sight at the best of times. A feral mutant he possessed a thick shaggy coat of brown hair, glaring amber eyes, sharp canines and razor-sharp talons on his fingers. He was superhumanly strong and agile and a perfect killing machine. Of his character the nicest things you could say about him were that he was a control freak, he had a death wish and a mean streak the size of the Grand Canyon. He was definitely not a man you wanted to be on the wrong side off.

"You do not frighten me Andrew Hamish Graves. I know all about you and strange though it may seem I want you on my team. You will be the first member of what will be a new Brotherhood of Mutants. I need you're ferocity and cunning, your strength, agility and tenacity. You're power to produce anger-inducing pheromones while fascinating is useless against me so would you just stop that please."

Andrew was surprised to find himself obeying at once. The stranger stepped out of the shadows revealing herself as a woman. There didn't seem anything out of the ordinary about her but Spoor sensed this was a dangerous woman and one who was used to command. He simply stood still as she walked around him.

"I know Magneto was the only one who ever commanded you Spoor. You were one of the best of his Acolytes and he highly recommended you. Surprised I know Magnus? I've lived a long time Andrew and I've known many people. I've lived many lives, died many deaths, worn many faces, killed many people and the triumphs and tragedies are beyond counting."

She was standing before him now and Spoor's eyes widened in surprise at what happened next. Skin and clothing shifted until a different person stood before him. She now wore a backless white dress, slit along the thighs and giving an appreciative Andrew a good view of her shapely figure. Blue skin and gleaming yellow eyes were unconventional but she was not unattractive. He scratched his hirsute chin and smiled toothily as recognition dawned.

"Yuir Mystique aren't ye lassie?"

She didn't answer but shifted form again. Now there stood a  tall muscular man, white haired and lined of face but strong and powerful. Magneto shifted form to an unshaven, auburn haired weasel-like man with an air of deviousness. Then Fabian Cortez became Mystique once again.

"I'm neither of your previous leaders but I follow the same dream that they do. I offer you the chance to help us take our rightful place as the dominant species. I assure you that there will be enough killing and destruction to satisfy even your needs. Will you stand by my side Andrew Hamish Graves."

"Aye that I will lassie that I will."

She smiled and crooked a finger under his chin, forcing him to look in her eyes.

"Excellent but don't call me lassie Spoor. I am Mystique or Raven Darkholme if you must. Now come we have others to gather before the night is out. Then we can begin."

She simply laughed seeing the curiosity in his gaze. Gently patting a furry shoulder she leaned over and whispered in Spoor's ear.

"The final solution to the human problem."

Spoor literally grinned from ear to ear.

"Aye and so it begins."

"Indeed it does Spoor."


End file.
